


Wizarding War Reparations Act 472: The Marriage Law

by elancharmant



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Marriage Law Challenge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-24 17:02:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10746039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elancharmant/pseuds/elancharmant
Summary: The Ministry passes a marriage law requiring Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy to marry. They tolerate each other as they build a new life together.Compliant with Deathly Hallows, ignores the Epilogue. And definitely ignores Cursed Child.





	1. Chapter 1

Ginny sighed happily. This was complete bliss. A mug of hot chocolate on a snowy winter's day, curled up in an armchair in her childhood home, chatting about mundane things with her mother while listening to the shrieks and yells of her nieces and nephews who were playing outside and the low rumbles of her brothers' and father's voices, who were all in the kitchen discussing Ministry policies.

Although all of the Weasley children had moved out of the Burrow upon graduation from Hogwarts, they returned quite frequently. Everyone always showed up for Sunday night dinners, and whenever they might have some free time they didn't know what to do with. Ginny certainly felt that the Burrow was more of a home to her than her own flat in Diagon Alley.

The Burrow, though it held two or three times as many people on Sunday nights than Ginny had ever remembered from her childhood, still felt empty and sad. Fred was gone, and George much quieter. Ron was less prone to angry outbursts while Percy had fewer pompous speeches to make. Even Bill and Charlie seemed to be less rambunctious. War, Ginny figured, did that to people.

That was not to say that the next generation of Weasleys didn't bring a sense of renewal and a new kind of liveliness to the house. Ginny loved the innocence that her nieces and nephews had; they were largely unaffected by the war. However, it did feel as though everyone else in her family was getting hitched and popping out children while she was busy with a rough patch in her relationship with Harry. There was little chance of an engagement in the near future.

But that's all it was: a rough patch. Eventually everything would be worked out and Ginny and Harry would have a wonderful life together until they turned gray and wrinkly.

Upon returning home later that evening, Ginny discovered three owls pecking impatiently at her kitchen window.

"Oh dear, I hope you haven't been here too long," she murmured, letting them in and stroking a large eagle owl on the head. "Let's see what you've got."

The first was a Ministry letter.

Dear Ms. Ginevra Weasley,

               We are writing to inform you of the last and final act passed under the War Reparations clause. Act 472, also referred to as the Marriage Act, was given final approval by the Wizengamot on Friday, December 6 at 3:42 p.m. This law directly affects you, as outlined below. Only the clauses of the law that affect you are below. A full copy of the act may be obtained by request through the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

  1. All witches and wizards from the ages 17 to 35 who are not currently married as of December 6 will be required to marry another witch or wizard of the opposite gender that the Ministry has chosen based on compatibility.
  2. All current relationship statuses besides marriage will not be taken into account.
  3. Couples aged 17 to 30 will be expected to produce two children within five years of marriage. Couples aged 31 to 35 will be expected to produce one child within five years of marriage.
  4. All marriages should be officiated by a Ministry employee with two witnesses and all other legal requirements by December 6 of the next year.
  5. Non-compliance with the law will result in appropriate punitive measures.
  6. Medical bills related to the births of two children will be subsidized by the government. Information regarding these procedures will be provided upon marriage.



All questions, concerns, or inquiries should be directed to: Theodore James, Head, Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

The purpose of this law is to ensure the continuation of Wizard-kind and of British Wizarding civilization and culture. For further information on this subject, refer to the document THE WAR REPARATIONS CLAUSE: POWERS AND INTENTIONS FOR THE WIZARDING WORLD OF BRITAIN which may be obtained by request from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Ginevra Weasley, your match is Draco Abraxas Malfoy. Do not forget the deadline for your marriage.

Sincerely,

Gregory Hanson

Chief, Wizengamot

In shock, Ginny placed the letter down on the table. It was too much to take in all at once; she didn't know what to react to first: the Ministry's apparent insanity, the ridiculous fact that this law got passed, or that she was supposed to marry the Malfoy prat.

She reached gladly for Hermione's letter. Surely Hermione could fix things.

Ginny,

               I Apparated over to your flat earlier today, but you weren't home. I assumed you were at the Burrow but I didn't want to just show up there as I wasn't sure if everyone had received their letters yet and I didn't want to be the one starting all the chaos. I have been busy researching all day-- I even went over to Hogwarts for a few hours to consult with Professor McGonagall and Madam Pince and make use of the library, but to no avail. This law is as airtight as it can get. The Ministry covered all their bases. I honestly see no way out of it, besides an appeal, which would take years. While I am relieved for myself that Ron and I got married mere months ago, I am equally worried for you. Perhaps you will be paired with Harry anyway.

               I am going to continue my research to see if this can be worked around. I am going to meet with Kingsley tomorrow. He is far more versed in Wizarding Law than I am and may know something of use. Do let me know how you are doing and who you are matched with.

Love from,

Hermione

Ginny grimaced upon reading Hermione's conclusions. If she hadn't found anything besides a lengthy appeals process, then the odds were surely not in Ginny's favor.

Sighing, she turned to the last letter.

Miss Ginevra Weasley,

               Come have lunch with me tomorrow at the Manor to discuss the recent Ministry news. Does noon work for you?

Sincerely.

Draco Malfoy

Ginny snorted. How pompous. A simple "Holy cow, we need to talk!" would have sufficed. A formal lunch invitation was unnecessary. Still, she wrote a brief reply saying that she would be there at noon.

The next morning, Ginny woke up with a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Despite the bright, cheery sunshine and the comforting prospect of dinner at the Burrow later that day, she did not feel the slightest bit happy.

Out of a combination of nerves and irritation, she burned her toast. It was not going to be a good day.

She wrote a brief reply to Hermione's letter before going back to her bedroom to find something acceptable to wear. Though Ginny was not overly interested in fashion, she knew the importance of dressing nicely and appropriately, especially with her experience as a Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. She had been to many press conferences, fancy dinners, balls, and other various social events that came with being a Quidditch player.

She pushed past Quidditch uniforms and practice jerseys in her closet to get a good look at the rest of her clothes. She needed something nice, but casual enough for a Sunday lunch.

After a few minutes of deliberation, she decided on a set of dark brown robes that fit the bill, but were also warm enough for December.

Before she knew it, it was almost midday. She had been so preoccupied with worrying that the time had flown by.

She Apparated to the lane outside of the Malfoy Manor. She had never been there though she had heard both her dad and Ron talk about it before.

She nearly turned and bolted upon seeing the tall, imposing wrought-iron gates. She could probably make it out of the country before anybody noticed. Charlie was in Romania right now; he would certainly take her in for a while.

A moment later, she almost laughed out loud at the thought. She would not be scared off by a mere gate.

Once she had been ushered inside the front door by a house elf wearing clothes, she was told to wait a moment for "Young Master."

Trying not to look to incredulous at this sort of display, she turned her gaze to the foyer. It was large, impressive, and decorated with the clear intention of making visitors feel small and insignificant. A few moments later, none other than Draco Malfoy stood across the room from her, wearing his signature smirk. He came across to meet her and offered her his arm, which she took, despite feeling a bit skeptical.

"This way, Miss Weasley," he said imperiously, leading her through an imposing archway. Ginny sighed inwardly. This was all too much.

He took her to a sunroom, where a table for two was set. It was nothing like Ginny had imagined the Malfoy Manor. It was bright and sunny, and it looked very comfortable. The chairs were cushy and the table was laid with a white, lacy tablecloth and bright flowers.

"And here I was, expecting you to live in a dungeon," Ginny muttered, as she took in the sweeping view of the grounds. Malfoy pulled a chair out for her and drawled in reply, "And here I was, expecting you to show up in rags, throwing hexes wherever you went."

Ginny returned that with nothing but a glare.

"Of course," Malfoy said, "I didn't ask you here so that we could throw insults at each other. We need to discuss the-"

He was interrupted by Ginny, who could not contain a small gasp of surprise and delight when her plate magically filled with food.

"Yes, Weasley, that's called magic," Malfoy said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Is that a novel concept for you?"

"Do stop, Malfoy. Some of us have actually grown up having to do things for ourselves. You're probably as incapable of taking care of yourself as an infant."

"What a delightful assessment, Weasley. Thank you. Now, where was I? Oh yes. This new Ministry law. We seem to have a bit of a problem here. The Malfoy name may still have good social standing, but it is not looked upon without suspicion in Ministry circles. Usually, I could just bribe my way out of this. Unfortunately, that does not look like an option right now. Later on, it may be within our power to bribe our way to a divorce."

Ginny stopped eating. She swallowed hard before saying, "Hermione was looking for loopholes. She didn't sound optimistic, though. If she can't find anything, then there probably is no way out."

"Weasley, look at me," Malfoy said. Until then, Ginny hadn't realized she was staring down at her plate. She followed his instructions, the expression on her face looking utterly miserable.

"Try to not look so depressed. You're marrying _me_ after all." (Here, Ginny could hardly suppress a short, sarcastic laugh.) Malfoy looked mildly irritated, but he continued, "We are going to do this properly. You will have an engagement ring. My mother will plan a wedding in six months' time. I will take you out on dates. You will not date any other men, no matter what your current relationship might be."

"Are you really going to order me around like this?" Ginny asked.

"Only on matters of importance."

"Like what? Our entire engagement? It's not even a real engagement!"

"With the Ministry interfering in our lives like this, I'm going to see to it that we go about this as normally and properly as possible."

"So we're just going to pretend? Pretend that we're actually in love and that we actually want to do this?"

Malfoy calmly stood up. For a moment, Ginny though he was going to hit her. Instead, he knelt on one knee and took her hands in his.

"Miss Ginevra Weasley, will you marry me?"

"It doesn't count. I don't have a choice."

"Yes you do. If you like, I can help you flee the country. I have a distant cousin who lives in Norway. He would be happy to take you in. Of course, his house is most likely buried under ten or twelve feet of snow right now. I don't think you'd like it very much there."

"Fine then, Mr. Malfoy," Ginny said, trying to match his imperious tone, "I accept your marriage proposal, but only because the alternative is extremely unappealing."

"Well, Miss Weasley, I'm afraid I was caught unprepared. I do not have an engagement ring for you. What do you say we go shopping for one?"

"Now?" Ginny asked uncertainly. She wasn't sure she was quite ready yet to go parading around Diagon Alley on Malfoy's arm.

"Of course. Why wait when we're so in love?" Malfoy asked.


	2. Chapter 2

Ginny's and Malfoy's shopping strategies were much different. While Ginny looked at the price tag before she decided if she liked something or not, Malfoy never bothered to look at the tag. In fact, the first store he took her in didn't even have prices on anything.

It was kind of nice, Ginny thought, having a man who was prepared to buy you anything you fancied. Even if it was Malfoy.

By mid-afternoon, Ginny had acquired an engagement ring (which was much larger and more expensive than she had ever imagined), a new winter cloak (fur, rather than wool), a new set of emerald green dress robes, and a silver necklace that had caught her eye. All of her protests had been completely ignored by Malfoy, who insisted on buying everything.

He walked her back to her flat, which was on a small side street off of Diagon Alley's main thoroughfare. They said polite goodbyes, and Ginny once again thanked him profusely for everything he had bought her, which he waved off.

Alone in her flat, Ginny sat around and admired her ring, something she did not dare do in public. It was big, large, and sparkly. It was something she, Ginny Weasley, shouldn't want. It was something she should look down on as a cheap attempt at showing off one's wealth. But for some reason, every time she looked down at it, a happy feeling swooped through her stomach.

An owl flew through her open kitchen window and landed on her sink, hooting happily.

It was Harry's owl. All happy thoughts were thrown out of Ginny's head as she rushed over to open the letter.

Ginny,

I'm sorry I didn't try to contact you sooner. I've been thinking since our last fight that perhaps we don't belong together. I was planning on asking you to take a break for a while to get ourselves together. But when I got the Ministry letter, I realized how much I love you. I have been assigned to marry Hannah Abbott. I thought about leaving the country with you, but I feel like I still need to help the Ministry out. I feel that I am crucial to the Auror office and to the morale of the country as a whole. I can't leave. I just want you to know that I still love you so, so much and that I will always be here for you.

Love,

Harry

Blinking tears out of her eyes and trying to push thoughts of the future she and Harry could have had out of her mind, Ginny began to get ready for dinner. She figured she should go early so that she could talk to her parents before anyone else arrived.

At five o'clock, with her engagement ring firmly planted on her finger, she left for the Burrow. She left the new cloak at home, although it would have been much warmer, thinking that she didn't want to shock her family too much.

"Ginny, darling!" Molly Weasley cried, hurrying out into the front yard to embrace her daughter. "I hadn't heard from you! I was so worried that you might have run away without telling us!"

"No, Mum, I'm still here. It's just been a busy day."

"Oh, I know, I know. This Ministry business is out of control. Harry stopped by as soon as he heard. He was practically in tears."

"Mum, please don't tell me."

"All right, Ginny dear. Let's get you inside. It's frigid out here."

Ginny felt much happier inside the kitchen. It was warm and cozy, and her mum was busy making dinner, just like always.

"Where's Dad?"

"Oh, probably out tinkering in his workshop, like always, breaking some Ministry ordinance or another. Ginny dear, you haven't told me. Who will you be marrying?"

Her tone was light, but it was forced. Ginny knew her mother was trying to conceal her anger.

"Draco Malfoy, Mum."

There was dead silence as Molly Weasley froze, her knife halfway to the chicken.

Then, "BY MERLIN, WE DID NOT FIGHT TWO WARS AGAINST VOLDEMORT ONLY TO HAVE THE MINISTRY INTERFERING IN OUR LIVES AND RUINING MY DAUGHTER'S FUTURE BY FORCING HER TO MARRY A DEATH EATER! I WILL HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THIS, LIKE HELL WE ARE JUST GOING TO ACCEPT THIS LYING DOWN-"

Mr. Weasley burst in, having heard his wife all the way down in his shed.

"Molly, dear, Molly!"

"WHAT?!"

"Dear, we need to stay calm. I know you're upset, but your daughter -- Oh, hello Ginny, how are you? -- is probably more upset and does not need her mother screaming at her."

Silence.

"Molly, dear, please put the knife down."

She complied with his request before bursting into tears.

"My only- hic- daughter! Here I was, thinking that I'd have some beautiful grandchildren with, with..." She sniffed, "With Harry! He's practically been another son to us, but the Ministry thinks they can just force him out! And now my grandchildren are going to be half Malfoy!"

"Malfoy?" Arthur said, his face looking grim.

"Yes," Ginny said, "And," she continued, her voice loud and clear, "We have already met. He's not _that_ awful. He put forth a considerable effort to be nice to me. We're getting married in six months. We're going to have a nice wedding. Look!" She said, brandishing her left hand in front of her parents' faces, "He’s already gotten me a ring." It was then that Ginny realized what Malfoy had been getting at earlier. Even though the Ministry was forcing them to marry, they might as well comply with grace and class, making it a more enjoyable experience for the both of them.

"Oh Ginny, you're so good, making the best of it!" Molly cried, pulling her into a hug.

Arthur still had anger in his eyes. He had not forgotten the fistfight he had had with Lucius Malfoy in Flourish and Blotts over ten years ago.

"Dad," Ginny pleaded, looking at him over her mother's shoulder, "please just be supportive. I'm doing my best here."

Arthur nodded. "Of course, Ginny. But I will be going over his records very carefully tomorrow. If there's anything that looks suspicious, I will take it directly to the Minister and get you out of this. I'll also get Kingsley to keep a close watch on the man. Perhaps raid that manor again, just for good measure."

The rest of Ginny's family reacted the same way upon hearing the news. Ron and George both shouted a steady stream of expletives, Percy began explaining how the compatibility test must have gone wrong, and Bill merely looked furious. Fleur wrinkled her nose, Angelina shrieked and looked like she was about to faint, and Hermione looked miffed, though she did cast an admiring glance at Ginny's ring.

Eventually they all calmed down (excepting Ron, who was still muttering to himself about "that great slimy, ferret-faced git") and made Ginny promise to bring Malfoy to dinner the next week.

The Harpies, though in the Quidditch off-season, still practiced regularly. Monday practice always ran from 4 a.m. until noon. Alexander Higgins, the head coach, believed strongly in the idea that the harder the practices, the easier the games would be.

Ginny had to admit he was probably right. After running drills in the early mornings of December, no matter the weather, a match during the spring or summer would seem like a piece of cake. Still, she was not happy about having to get up so early on a Monday morning just to have practice in the freezing cold. On this particular Monday it was sleeting, which just added to the fun.

After practice, Ginny went straight home, only to collapse on her couch and fall asleep. She was tired, achy, and sweaty, but she didn't have the energy to take a shower or change clothes.

And that was how Malfoy's eagle owl found her later that afternoon, with a note inviting her to afternoon tea.

Ginny jumped up, her muscles screaming in protest, and ran for the shower. She only had half an hour to recover, get dressed, and get to the Malfoy Manor. In all her rush to get ready, it never occurred to her to wonder why she was putting in so much effort to make it to tea on time with Malfoy.

Ginny Apparated just in time to the front gate of the Manor, her new fur cloak pulled tightly around her.

In the foyer, Malfoy again came to greet her and offered her his arm. His ever-present smirk grew more pronounced when he saw that she was wearing her engagement ring.

"We'll be taking tea with my mother. She wants to discuss the wedding with you."

In a parlor that was much more formal than the sunroom where they had eaten lunch the day before, was Narcissa Malfoy. She was seated by the fireplace, dressed in gorgeous gray silk robes, embroidering something with a serene calmness. She carefully stood up, brushing her long blonde hair out of her face.

"Miss Weasley," she said, offering her hand, "I'm glad to meet you."

"The same to you, Mrs. Malfoy."

They sat in armchairs around the fire and tea was served to them by a house elf.

"Miss Weasley," Narcissa began, "May I call you Ginny?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Do tell me about yourself. You play for the Holyhead Harpies, am I correct?"

"Yes, Chaser."

"I'm afraid I don't follow much Quidditch. What kind of hours do you keep?"

"Well, during fall and winter we practice four to six days a week, sometimes for a half day and sometimes for a whole. During the spring and summer we practice seven days a week for five to eight hours, unless we have a game that week."

"That sounds very demanding. Do you travel much?"

"About half of our games are away. We usually only play teams in the United Kingdom or Ireland. We occasionally have to travel to the Continent."

"Do you think you will keep playing after you are married?" Narcissa's face was unreadable. Ginny didn't know what she was supposed to answer.

"Well, I hadn't thought about it much."

"Think on it. You may be able to at first, but I don't believe that you could continue that schedule while raising two children."

"I agree," Ginny said, knowing that Narcissa had brought up a good point. Most female Quidditch players abandoned their careers after having children.

"It's something to keep in mind. Getting married will be quite a lifestyle change. Have you given any thought to the wedding yet?"

"Well, no." Ginny admitted.

"I thought not. It's never too early to start planning, though. We may as well have it here. I don't see the point in renting any sort of hall or ballroom elsewhere. We need to think of a color scheme, as well as find you a dress, write a menu, have a guest list, and settle on a date."

Ginny's eyes widened. "I think my mum would want a say in this too."

If Narcissa's manners were not so impeccable, she probably would have sneered.

"Of course. I will write to her. However, I think you should have greater input. Give me a few dates that you are free and we can go shopping. We will cover the cost of everything, don't worry about that."

Ginny wanted to please her mother-in-law, so she nodded, already mentally going through her practice schedule for the next few weeks.

"I would also like to set a date as soon as possible, so that the announcements can be mailed. As for shopping, I'd also like to accomplish that soon. With so many weddings taking place within the next year, any stores selling wedding things will be mobbed with orders."

After a few more pleasantries, Narcissa excused herself, leaving Ginny and Malfoy.

For the first time, Ginny felt acutely aware that she was going to have to marry this man soon. The day before had almost felt surreal, like a dream. It had all happened so quickly that it had had little effect on Ginny. Now, there was no more hope of finding a loophole in the law or of waking up and finding that it was a dream after all.

She looked at Malfoy. "We're getting married," she said, her voice shaky.

He stared at her, as though he were unsure of what to do. The snarky reply that Ginny had been expecting did not come. The next thing she knew, Malfoy's arms were around her and he was murmuring in her ear that everything was going to be okay and their lives were going to turn out all right.

Ginny did the only thing she really could do at that moment: she burst into tears. She cried into Malfoy's shoulder, bawling over how she was supposed to marry Harry and have kids with him and live in a little cottage near Ottery St. Catchpole and grow old with him.

Had she had any sense about her she would have thought that her situation was entirely surreal. It was certainly a strange chain of events that could end up with her crying onto Draco Malfoy's shoulder about the future she wanted with Harry Potter. As it was, she didn't have her wits about her at the moment.

"Oh, and you're supposed to come to dinner next Sunday with my family," Ginny said, raising her head up.

"They're going to murder me, aren't they?"

"Who?" Ginny asked, brushing tears out of her eyes.

"Your brothers."

"No. Well, maybe. I know Percy's been inquiring at the Ministry about our compatibility results. He's pretty sure something went wrong."

Malfoy laughed, his arms still around Ginny. "I guess I'll make sure to bring my wand."

The rest of the week flew by for Ginny. As it always is when one is dreading something, the time leading up to that event seems to slip by like a fast-moving river.

She and Malfoy exchanged letters all week though they did not see each other. Ginny spent her days at practice, and then either with Hermione or Luna in the evening discussing the events of the past weekend.

On Sunday, Malfoy Apparated over to her flat at five. It was the first time he had seen the inside of the flat, and Ginny felt a little ashamed. It was an expensive piece of property due to its convenient location, but it was not the most well-maintained building around.

Malfoy did not comment on her flat at all. Instead, he listened carefully to everything Ginny had to say. She had invited him over earlier so that she could describe her family and he would know who everyone was.

She had an old family photo album.

"There's my mum and dad. You know them."

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Got it."

"This is Bill. He still has that ponytail, so he's easy to recognize. He works as a cursebreaker for Gringotts, and he used to work in Egypt. He's the oldest and he's married to Fleur Delacour. You'd remember her. They have three children."

"And what are their names?"

"Don't worry about keeping track of them. We'll introduce you when we get there."

"Okay, so who's next?"

"Charlie. He won't be there. He works in Romania at a dragon preserve. He has a Romanian girlfriend, but none of us have met her. She probably won't last long. You can recognize him because he's the shortest of the boys."

"Bill. Gringotts, Fleur, three kids. Charlie. Dragons, Romania, mystery girlfriend. Continue."

"You know Percy. He works for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He acts like he hates his job, but he really loves it. Don't ask him about work or he'll still be lecturing you about it until February of next year. Then there's George. He's married to Angelina."

"She used to play Quidditch for Gryffindor, didn't she?"

"Very good! You're smarter than I thought."

Malfoy glared at her. "Do you want me to cooperate tonight or not?"

"Oh, yes. I take that back. George and Angelina have four kids. Then Ron, who just married Hermione a few months ago. I suspect that Hermione's pregnant, but she hasn't announced it yet."

"I think I'm prepared," Malfoy said, shutting the photo album and handing it over to Ginny.

She went to put it away, and Malfoy began to pace around her living room, looking at her decorations.

"Are you nervous?"

He turned to look at her, his face the epitome of calm and collected. With a raise of one eyebrow, he said "Malfoys are never nervous."

"If you say so," Ginny said, grinning broadly.

The Burrow was chaos, as usual. Both George and Bill were already there with their families. With the seven children underfoot, nobody noticed that Ginny and Malfoy were there until they had stepped through the front door.

The atmosphere in the house immediately changed. Even the younger children seemed to know that something was off.

"Mr. Malfoy," Arthur said, stepping forward and offering his hand.

"Mr. Weasley," Malfoy said, taking Arthur's hand, "Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise," Arthur said coldly.

"Do come on in," Molly said, coming to the door.

She shook Malfoy's hand before grabbing her daughter in a tight hug.

Bill, Fleur, George, and Angelina were already seated at the table in the backyard, as there was not enough room for everyone to fit in the kitchen.

They all greeted Malfoy with as much warmth as Arthur had. They all then lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.

"I think Andromeda is going to come with Teddy," Bill said finally.

"That's nice," Ginny said, staring at her lap, "I haven't seen Teddy in awhile."

"He eez such a beautiful child!" Fleur exclaimed.

There was silence again before Fleur suddenly asked Malfoy if there was any Veela blood in his family.

"I may have had a great-grandmother who was Veela, I believe, but I'm not sure."

"Oh!" Fleur exclaimed excitedly before questioning who this great-grandmother was and if she may have had any relations in France. With that, Malfoy and Fleur were drawn into conversation, thus ending the terribly awkward silence.

In the next half hour, Ron, Hermione, and Percy arrived, all greeting Malfoy coldly. Nobody dared say anything nasty to his face, however, and things were generally peaceful.

Just as dinner was being served, Andromeda Tonks showed up with her grandson Teddy. Everyone jumped up excitedly to greet them, especially Bill's children, who were closest in age to him. Everyone except Malfoy, who stayed seated, a tinge of pink around his cheeks.

"You must be Draco," the brunette woman said, reaching a hand out to touch his hair. "You remind me so much of your mother."

"It's nice to meet you, Aunt Andromeda."

"You too, dear." She smiled, but it was a hard, closed smile. Ginny wasn't particularly sure what kind of emotion was behind it.

Dinner continued most uneventfully, though Ron's ears turned a bright, raging red every time he was forced to speak with Malfoy.

Afterwards, Ginny excused herself and Malfoy. Although she usually stayed around, talking until the sun went down, she didn't want to push things.

They went back to Ginny's flat, where she congratulated Malfoy on surviving.

"Hopefully things will get better. They're mostly just in shock."

"Do we have to do that every week?"

"That would be ideal, yes."

Malfoy sighed loudly and dropped onto Ginny's couch.

"Alright, I was nervous. And I am so glad that it's over."

Ginny laughed, falling onto the seat next to him. "That's what I thought. We can be an intimidating crew."

"Yes, I've noticed."

"Maybe we'll visit my parents sometime when no one else will be there. It'll be a less pressured visit then."

"That would be nice."

"You don't sound convinced."

"I figure the further away I stay from your murderous family, the better."

Ginny sighed. "It's not any easier for me, you know."

"You're not in any danger of dying. Or at least getting hexed severely enough to land you in St. Mungo's for the rest of your life."

"No. But they're my family. I don't have any choice in this, and it's really stressful when my family is no help."

"They'll most likely come around eventually. They're only acting like this because they want the best for you."

"Are you, Mr. Malfoy, implying that you are not what is best for me? Where did your ego disappear off to?"

Malfoy laughed. "We all know that you and Saint Potter are meant to be."

"Well, not anymore, I guess."

"Yes, you're stuck with me."

With a small smile on her face, Ginny put her hand in his and said, "I guess that will have to do."

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently people still write Marriage Law fics...which is great because I've had this one in the back of my mind for years now.


End file.
